What.

The public is urged to join letter carriers, local food banks and Valley of the Sun United Way to fight hunger through the 19th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive on Saturday, May 14.  This is the largest one-day food drive across the nation and comes to life in the Valley when more than 5,000 local city and rural letter carriers take to the streets to collect non-perishable food donations while delivering the mail across Valley neighborhoods.

The letter carriers’ food drive will provide vital resources to our Valley’s major food banks: St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, St. Vincent de Paul and United Food Bank.  Last year, local letter carriers collected more than 800,000 pounds of food to help meet community needs.

 

When. 

Saturday, May 14

 

How.

1. Donate at the mail box.   

• City and rural letter carriers deliver grocery bags to mailboxes
• Residents fill this bag or any empty grocery bag with non-perishable food items and place the bag next to the mailbox.  A full bag weighing 12 pounds can provide approximately eight meals to someone in need.
• Letter carriers pick up donations while on their regular route. 

2. Donate at www.stampouthungeraz.org to make your dollar stretch – a $10 donation can feed a family of four for three days (source: Association of Arizona Food Banks). Cash donations enable local food banks to leverage their resources and purchase food in larger quantities at discounted prices to provide more meals for individuals in need.

Why.

Hunger remains a vital concern across the state as unemployment and underemployment push more Valley residents to local food banks for assistance. 

Who.

Valley of the Sun United Way partners with the NALC Local Union 576, the U.S. Postal Service and Labor’s Community Service Agency to inspire Valley residents to fight hunger.

About the NALC Food Drive and Valley of the Sun United Way
The Letter Carriers’ Food Drive was established in Phoenix by NALC Local Union 576 in 1990. In 1992, the NALC implemented the food drive nationally and has grown to be the nation’s largest one-day food drive. Last year, carriers collected a record 77.1 million pounds of food in over 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The national food drive partners include Feeding America’s food bank network, United Way Worldwide, the AFL-CIO and the Campbell Soup Company.  Locally, Valley of the Sun United Way is a strategic partner of the NALC annual food drive and is part of VSUW’s work to end hunger in Maricopa County.  Visit www.vsuw.org to learn more.